Taking Time for Autumn

   Being down here on the Bayou by myself most of the time, I sort of lose track of time.  There is no need for it.  This sounds strange for someone who collects and repairs antique clocks.  "There is no need for keeping track of time."  But...here I am.  I pretty much live by the "feel" of things.  Most days are centered around the weather not time.  I plant when the weather is right.  I work when the weather is right.  I fish when the weather is right.  There are days when I cannot tell you the time, the day of of the week or even what day of the month it is.  There is no "rat-race" when the rats are doing their thing and I am doing mine.  I go for months without ever leaving the place. 

  That said, I do pretty much keep track of seasons!  Those are hard not to recognize when they flip.  Today, it occurred to me that autumn must be near.  As I was working the Small Gardens for my fall planting, a sure sign of the seasonal change was evident.  Next to the gate of the vegetable garden, two stalks of blooms wafted gently on the breeze.  One was the chives that now dot the hillside in wild abandon and the other was a nerine lily.  Usually, hundreds of these blooms (both) can be spotted around the place but with the severe drought that has befallen us, these are the only two to be found.  Both of these are spindly due to that lack of rain.  It saddens me but, at the same time, gives me hope.  If it is autumn, perhaps we shall began to see some rain coming our way. and the summer heat will be pushed away for a few months.  I am ready for that change and thankful that the plants are doing their best to remind me that it is "time" for the seaonal change.

It is Autumn Enough!

   It seems that autumn can never come soon enough for my taste.  Let the calendar roll around to May and I am wanting to decorate for fall and Halloween.  Most of those decorations can easily spill over to Thanksgiving so why not get an early start?  If it would not be for Son reminding me that we have spring and summer, I would just as soon jump right into fall after winter.  Who needs the other seasons?  Well, I guess we all do but still....

  Not feeling the best today, I decided that a bit of orange would be the perfect remedy and I knew the ideal place to start sneaking  decorations into place!  There is this funny little wall niche in the bathroom.  It is actually a place where a tiny window was removed years ago.  Instead of trying to "cover over" the void, I decided to put it to good use.  It is pointless to view it as an eyesore.  It is better to simply draw attention to the spot!  I usually hang a wreath in the niche year round but change up during the holidays.  I had a "vision" for the niche for autumn.  

  A wall sconce vase was created from a split gourd.  To this a few dried and artificial leaves were added and a bit of Spanish moss was tucked beneath.  An old lantern was the finishing touch.  Voila!  My first autumn decorations were in place.  Since the bathroom has black trim, orange and black towels, pumpkin and black cat soap dispensers were an easy choice to round out the decorations.  One room down and the rest of the house to go...but I am inspired!  Let Autumn begin!  I feel better already.

Wishing....wishing

   This far south, we do not get the beautiful fall foliage show that occurs in the more northern states.  We have to be happy with an occasional orange or red leaf that may slowly drift from the gum trees or popcorn trees.  Sometimes, the maples will put on a show if the weather is reasonable but the drought has browned the leaves before any color change has happened.  So...we take what we get.   Here I am just wishing for some autumn-like show but, instead, I am crunching dried leaves.  

  My hike this morning did bring a smile as I found two...yes, TWO...signs of fall!  First, as I made my way around back behind the greenhouse and grape arbors, I was tickled to find a couple of wild persimmons still hanging on the tree.  The little gold blobs are not ripe and would cause me to pucker up something fierce, if I tried to eat one.  The drought caused huge droppage of the fruit early on and the possums will most likely get the few that hang on the limbs before the first frost makes them sweet.  Still, I saw them and that brought a flood of happy memories.  On the old farm place, there was a few wild persimmon trees in the woods between the house and fields.  I can recall always trying to snitch a snack even though I was warned of the puckering and drying effect that I would surely experience.  The high content of tannins in the unripe fruit make them...ummm...rather unpalatable.  Still...autumn!  Wee bits of autumn dangled from the limbs of the persimmon trees!

  Then, as I meandered near the old canebrake, a second color blast brought vibes of fall and more memories.  A beautyberry shrub had the bright purplish berries starting to ripen.  Though, sparse due to the weather, a few stalks had the nice, rounded clumps on the branches.  These things always mesmerized me as a kid because what kid does not like purple (of any kind) and I loved watching the chickens hop up and down as they stripped the branches of the small berries.  To a kid, seeing a chicken hop is an amusing thing.  Seeing hundreds of chickens hop is downright comical. (Yes, Pop had hundreds of chickens when I was a kid.)  The beautyberry sighting brought a fit of giggles as I thought of those goofy chickens bouncing around the woods.

  So, fall is here, I guess.  I found my two bits of evidence that the summer is waning and perhaps cooler weather is in the works.  I sure hope so.  

Is Autumn Near?

  Well, summer must be waning and autumn nearing simply because I found two things early this morning.  As I stepped out the front door, the chive blooms were the first things to greet me...then, the second was the Ailanthus Webworm Moths!  To me, these two things surely mean fall is on its way....and that cannot come soon enough.  I am ready for the heat to leave and let us get on to cooler days.

  Garlic chives are some of my favorite plants to have in the gardens simply because they grow year round.  These have a more garlicky taste than the regular or onion chives but it is not so strong as regular garlic.  The mildness is just enough to add flavor without being overpowering.  It seems that the moths love them just as much as I do and are doing a fine job of pollinating the blossoms.  If I had my way, the entire yard would be planted in chives!  Two good points about this idea...one, we would never run out of the garlicky goodness and...two, I would never have to cut grass again!  Win/win situation!

  The Ailanthus Webworm moth is not a natural "citizen" of our area but, since it has arrived,  it has decided to stay put.  While a lot of folks are ok with the critter in its moth form, they become quite disgusted at the webs that house the caterpillars.  Seeing the web (which sort of resembles a scraggly spider web) hanging in a tree brings immediate action to "eradicate that unsightly thing"!  Me?  Meh...if you want the beauty of moths and butterflies, you have to embrace the caterpillars.  

  My sighting of the garlic chives and the orange moths gave me hope that autumn is in the air!  Bring on the pumpkins...the red leaves...the plaid, flannel shirts!  Oh...I did make cinnamon rolls today just to herald in my "early wishes of autumn"!

  

Thanks, Autumn

   Ahh, autumn!  Yep, then comes winter!  All the better, as far as I am concerned.  Although as I age, I feel the cold so much more, these seasons do have their good points.  Of course, we could talk about cooler weather, no gnats and mosquitoes and the coziness of fireplaces but perhaps my favorite reward of these months is the sunrises.  The colors are far more vivid which makes rising before the sun worth the effort.

  The sunrise this morning actually made me realize that autumn is finally upon us.  With October come the reddest sunrises and they will continue until about February.  It is pure bliss to sit on the pier and soak in the beauty.  Somehow, this is what is getting me through these long days.  Enjoy what is at hand, my friends.  Enjoy what is at hand.

Autumn Marigolds

  Maybe I am the only one but I do believe that marigolds are some of the prettiest fall flowers.  Nothing says "autumn" as much as marigolds when you are out strolling the gardens.  Perhaps this is a throwback to growing up on the farm and seeing the masses of marigolds that Pop used to grow or maybe to Mom using them to decorate for her "ladies' meetings" held at the house.  Either way, memories are tied to these blooms.  While others rush to buy mums, I merely toss out a few saved marigold seeds and let them fend for themselves.  The plants do well with little care, bugs don't munch on them and they are drought tolerant (or, in the case of this year, do well with much rain).

  Now throw in a couple of butterflies and all seems right with the world...at least, in the Small Gardens.  Back last year, I spent so much time in the Small Gardens that I crowned myself as "Queen".  It still holds true as I am still, more or less, tied here.  It is in these gardens and on the Bayou where good is still good, bad is still bad and the gators solve many problems...hehe...little joke there, folks.  That idea does make for some mighty good tales, however.  Autumn on, folks.  Look forward to brighter days ahead...hopefully.

Welcome Autumn!

  Autumn...of all the seasons, I do believe this may be a favorite...at least until winter.  Then, Winter...I think winter may be my favorite.  And so on...Perhaps, I need a change and the seasons provide that.  Here lately, however, there has not been that much change in the weather to merit a change in the seasons.  We have rain...daily rains that keep things soggy, smelling a tad musty and making outside slippery.  I do not complain, though, since I do love the rain.  Still, it is time for a change...so Dear Autumn, I am glad you are here.

  With fall comes the annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou.  Usually by this time, the Little Bayou House is adorned in some weird getup that coincides with the hunt.  I am behind schedule and nothing is ready.  There have been too many interruptions for me to complete anything.  The entryway (being the smallest room in the house) has been decorated somewhat.  It was the easier to do since each room of the hunt was to have a different color theme.  The entryway was orange!  Well, hello!!  Orange and Halloween go hand in hand for me so the decorations demanded to be "pre-Halloween"!  Fall decorations that can easily accept the Jack-O-Lanterns that will come in a few weeks!  This afternoon, as I was saying goodbye to my son-in-law after a short visit, a vision of loveliness greeted me.  Earlier, I had placed an old earthenware jug full of fall flowers and twigs on the window ledge.  When I turned to lock the screen door, the arrangement looked especially pretty.  With a backdrop of a rainy sky through the windowpanes, the oranges and browns of the arrangement seemed to literally be glowing.  This splash of color was a far cry from the plant cuttings being rooted in an old canning jar that are usually on this ledge.  The flowers were bright and happy and just screamed fall!  I needed that. Welcome, Autumn.  I am glad you have come to visit.

 

I'll Take It!

  Autumn!  Ahhh!  The bliss!  Chilly nights, colored leaves, brisk breezes, sweater nights!  I think this is just about perfect!  Except on the Bayou these things will come a bit later if at all.  While other folks are happily proclaiming that Fall is almost here, I am still going barefooted and sweating in the sweltering heat.  The thought of wearing anything more than a short sleeve shirt brings groans from those of us this far in the Deep South.  We can only wish! Still, Autumn comes tomorrow whether the weather agrees or not.  

  On my short hike in the yard at daybreak (very limited due to the uncooperative leg), I did come across one bright spot that is about as fall-like as we are going to get at the moment.  A single red leaf had fallen from a Black Gum Tree in the front yard.  Time to get out that rake!  The leaf being backlit by the rising sun looked like a bright flame rising from the grass.  Its glowing red enthralled me to the point that I wanted to keep the leaf forever in this state.  That ain't gonna happen, folks.  By late evening, the sun will have turned the leaf to a crispy brown and my little bit of Autumn will have burnt out like a match.  Vanished into thin air!  Gone.  Maybe another tomorrow?

  I have heardtell that you can "preserve" fall leaves by soaking them in glycerin.  Perhaps I should attempt that but then, I may not truly appreciate the "single" red leaves that I find occasionally.  Too much of a good thing can spoil the magic in something found for a moment.  Preserving the leaves will be a good project to do with the grandkids if they are ever here in Fall, maybe, but that will be a long time coming.  Instead, I will take my one little bit of Autumn and be happy in it.  I will take it when I find it.

Speaking Of Leaves....

  Yesterday while photographing the yellow butterfly amongst the possum grape leaves, it was easy to notice that at least those leaves bore a slight resemblance to something like autumn.  Or, perhaps, it was just wishful thinking.  Today, however, there was no mistaking the distinct fall-like colors in the black gum leaves that came fluttering to the ground.  A easy breeze came in off the Bay and showered me with red and yellow leaves from the tall trees.  The garden was littered with these bright bits of encouragement that the seasons would soon be changing. I am so ready.

  Autumn is my favorite time of year...or maybe it is winter.  It is a hard choice between the two.  With autumn comes the usual holidays such as Halloween and Thanksgiving but my mind is on our annual clue hunt. This takes up the entire month of October so things are already in full swing.  Preparations have to be made and, as usual, time is running short!  The feeling of angst that things will not be finished on time is always plaguing me so as soon as the day's chores are completed, the rest of the day is allotted for creating!  Sometimes this keeps me up until wee hours of the morn but, since it is something of my own undertaking, the lack of sleep is not a problem.

  But...back to those leaves!  Pop always called the trees "black gum trees" so, needless to say, that is my name for them as well.  Another common name is black tupelo which is derived from the Creek Indian name for the tree "ito opilwa".  This roughly translated means "swamp tree" which is fully appropriate.  These trees love growing in near swamps.  

  The trees are the first to show a bit of color here on the Bayou.  Since we rarely get the full "glory of autumn" with the leaf color thing, the black gum trees are highly appreciated for their bit of a show.  The leaves being blown from the trees today are a start of my "autumn".  I will take whatever I can get!  I do not mind getting showered with leaves while I water the garden.

August...Autumn...Whatever

  It has to be fall.  I know according to all sources, we have an entire month to go before Autumn.  That is reality.  That is what the so-called experts say.  Here on the Bayou, I am ready now.  I want Autumn in August.  It makes sense.  Both start with the same letters so they should be together.  It is as simple as that.  In my world, the fall season should start as soon as July is over.  On the Bayou at least, things are going to be that way regardless of what the rest of the world thinks.

  My hike took me around back to the Boysenberry patch.  I could hear hummingbirds battling over the Red Trumpet flowers and was in hopes of catching a photograph or two of them.  It did not happen.  I was waylaid by berries!  Not berries of the Boysenberry kind but of the Beautyberry kind.  The American Beautyberry bush was absolutely living up to its name.  It was gorgeous!  While most folks rip these fine shrubs out and call them weeds, I cherish them and leave them wherever they wish to grow.  The bushes have no thorns like roses, do not spread like wisteria or cause rashes like the sumac.  So...what is not to love?

  For as long as I can remember, this bush has been tied to the family in one way or another.  Like most farm families, we made use of just about anything and everything. (This is a trait that is hard to unlearn as I still hate wasting anything and have been known to keep a few things that others deem as trash.)  The American Beautyberry was encouraged to grow in the woods around the farm.  Both the chickens and the hogs loved to munch the berries.  It was a funny sight to see the fat hens jumping up to pluck the berries from the stems.  Sometimes, one feisty hen would grab an entire limb thinking she had hit the mother lode of berries.  She would drop to the ground and let go of the branch to munch the berries.  The springy limb would shoot upwards all the while berries were showering in a great arch.  All of the other hens would come running to share in the wealth.  There would be a mass feeding frenzy for a few moments.

  The stalks of berries were also cut for decorations for our local Halloween Carnival/Fall Festival.  Pop usually was in charge of these fine events at the local school.  Each year just before the even was to start, we would drive around picking Ditch Daisies and Beautyberries.  What fine arrangements these made in galvanized buckets!  The bright yellow daisies and striking purple berries added a definite flair to the party!   All of this reminiscing makes me want to go scouring the countryside for Ditch Daisies and Beautyberries!  I just need to get a few old tin buckets!

A Little Bit of Autumn!

  While most of the country is basking in the glory of fall colors, here on the Bayou, we have to be content with what we get.  That is very little in the way of brilliant foliage.  Usually by the time the leaves change from their summer greenery, they are already dropping from the tree limbs.  I find more color on the ground than waving from the treetops.  This is probably due to our lack of cool air and our copious amounts of rainfall. Factor in the high humidity that tends to make mush out of just about everything and you will understand why I am thrilled to find any bit of orange on the hillside.  Later on, the hickory trees usually give us a bit of gold and the stray maple may just pop a bit of red but while everyone else is oohing and ahhing, I am wandering about hunting anything reminiscent of fall.  While I love winter, I am in hopes of a least a bit of autumn to grace the area.

  My hike was short today.  Since Ms. Ez, the Bayou Dog, is not longer with us, I just cannot get the "feel" of a good hike.  I am taking baby steps to adjust to her absence.  I did wander down to the persimmon tree to grab a snack before the possums eat all of the fruit.  Here, I found my tiny sliver of the season.  What leaves were left on the tree were golden...sort of...maybe?  These leaves would just have to do.  I was satisfied that autumn had made an appearance at least.

  Speaking of persimmons, the "weather-forecasting" seeds predict an unusually cold winter ahead for us.  Knives and spoons were seen inside with the images of knives being dominant.  I guess I should prepare for a "stabbing cold" few months.  To be sure, I did compare my findings with the "Old Farmer's Almanac" and, sure enough, they agreed that Son and I had better start laying in a supply of firewood.  Perhaps this winter will be a good time to catch up on crafts, reading and baking.  Brrr!

Just a Hint of Autumn!

  I am so ready for it to be autumn!  I hauled a good many of the fall/Halloween decorations down from the closet upstairs and made a vow to have the house decorated to its fullest before the end of August. I know this is early by most standards but since I have the Clue Hunt on the Bayou starting the first week of October, decorating needs to commence.  It does not help matters that for the past few days we have been enjoying a break in the weather.  Our mornings have been a bit cooler with a hint of a north wind coming through the kitchen window. My brain tells me fall is in the air and I should be doing fall-related things not summertime things.  Forget summer...it was/is too hot!

  Then today comes along and presents me with evidence of an early fall!  Yep, a single red and yellow leaf fell at my feet while I was out with the old Bayou Dog.  Ms. Ez sniffed at the leaf with good intentions of eating it but I grabbed it before it was devoured.  This is my leaf! This is my beginning of fall!  The old dog was a bit confused at my glee but I know she will be just as happy with the changing of the seasons. 

  Question.  Does one brightly colored leaf make autumn?  Nope.  But it sure makes me feel that it cannot be far in the future.